Chapter
1: SongwritingSongwriting
is the ability to use music and words to express yourself.
It is both an art and a craft (‘inspiration and perspiration’) – a
skill that lets you create something out of nothing.

Some people think you need a special gift to write songs,
but raw talent can only get you so far. Just like playing
an instrument or performing on stage you can improve your
songwriting skills - and hence your chances of making a living
from music - with practice and perseverance.

Chapter
4: ArrangingWhen
you arrange a piece of music you are creating
new features for an existing idea.

You’re responding to an existing composition, you’re
fleshing it out, you’re giving it new dimensions, making
it bigger.

The line between writing and arranging is very
vague – where
does writing stop and arranging start? Essentially the writing
elements are the melodies, chords and lyrics – anything
after that is arrangement, but this is not a strict rule
as there are many ways in which music evolves from basic
idea to finished product.